Through My Soul
by LuckyX5-650
Summary: Nick glanced at the girl next to him, his eyes looking her up and down, trying to predict her next move. That was hard with Annie, you could never tell what she would do next. Movie: The Invisible. I only own my ideas.


Author Note: This is an alternative ending/epilouge to The Invisible, a couple weeks after Annie recovered from her gunshot wound. Marcus didn't survive, of course. Anyway, in the poem, the Italics are Annie, the regular print is Nick and the bold print is what they say together. Otherwise, it's always going to be regular print unless a character thinks something to him/herself. Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nick, Annie...let's see if you can top that." The English teacher put a hand on both their shoulders. Nick glances at the girl next to him, his eyes looking her up and down, trying to predict her next move. That was hard with Annie, you could never tell what she would do next. To Nick's relief, she glance back at him and pulled her black hat farther over her ears. He smiled slightly as they both got up in unison.

"I chose this poem for Nick and Annie to show an example to the class...what a real connection is." The teacher stood at the back of the room as Nick and Annie took their places at the front of the room, next to each other.

"Day burns."

"_Night crawls."_

"**Sneaks up upon us."**

"Stripes waver."

"_Curves straighten."_

"**Both are worn down."**

"The ice drips regret."

"_The fire burns uncertainty."_

" **Through my soul."**

"The blind open."

"_Then close."_

" **In an unseen motion. Together. As one. The same place. The same time. So different. But so alike."**

They finished just as the bell sounded. The class left in a hurry, whilst Nick and Annie stayed put.

"Great timing, you guys." The teacher smiled at them. Nick smiled back and mumbled a thanks. Annie, on the other hand, had already gathered her things and was out the door. Nick followed her and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She stopped abruptly, but didn't turn around.

"Don't, Nick." She whispered softly.

"Annie, stop." Nick pleaded with her.

"Stop what?" She turned around and looked up at him. Her eyes were shifty, and she was shaking slightly.

"Stop acting like you're okay. I can see right through that." Nick said softly. Annie was looking down at the floor. Nick raised his hand under her chin and lifted her eyes up to him again. They were darting back and forth, up and down. She didn't look so much as she had taken something, but as something was scaring the hell out of her. Her eyes were scarred with her past and all of her confusion. Nick studied her intently, looking for a reason she was acting like this.

"Hey..." Nick said softly. Annie was still looking around her as she pulled away and started to walk the other way.. Nick followed her out the school doors and had almost caught up to her again a few blocks down by an abandoned neighborhood.

"Annie!" He shouted.

"Don't do this to yourself!" Nick called after her. She stopped suddenly. She sank to her knees and Nick sighed. He knelt next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm right here, Annie. I'm right here. Don't beat yourself up for no reason." Nick said. It was killing him to see her hurting like this. Annie looked up again, a single tear running down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Nick. I'm so sorry I did those things to you. I screwed up, and it's all my fault." Her eyes were seeming to calm down, Nick noted happily, although she was still shaking.

"Listen, Annie, I can't deny it wasn't your fault, as much as I'd like to, because it was. But you saved me, for crying out loud! You did something good, Annie. You saved me." Nick said, the truth and sympathy slicing through him at the same time.

"And anyway, you never showed me your scar." Nick said, lightly. He was happy to hear soft laughter fill his ears. Annie smiled up at him. Oh, how he'd missed that smile. Nick smiled back and put his forehead to hers. Annie sighed softly and yawned. _That's why she's shaking. She's hallucinating because she's so exhausted, _Nick thought to himself. Nick looked down and realized Annie had closed her eyes.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me here." Nick whispered. Annie opened her eyes again and they both got up. Annie was leaning on Nick heavily.

"Maybe you should go back home, to you know...get some rest and see Victor?" Nick asked Annie quietly. Annie only nodded. They both started off towards the apartment, and it was then that Nick knew he loved her.


End file.
